1
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Pobiner B, Pante M, Keevil T. Early Pleistocene cut marked hominin fossil from Koobi Fora, Kenya. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9896. [PMID: 37365179 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35702-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Identification of butchery marks on hominin fossils from the early Pleistocene is rare. Our taphonomic investigation of published hominin fossils from the Turkana region of Kenya revealed likely cut marks on KNM-ER 741, a ~ 1.45 Ma proximal hominin left tibia shaft found in the Okote Member of the Koobi Fora Formation. An impression of the marks was created with dental molding material and scanned with a Nanovea white-light confocal profilometer, and the resulting 3-D models were measured and compared with an actualistic database of 898 individual tooth, butchery, and trample marks created through controlled experiments. This comparison confirms the presence of multiple ancient cut marks that are consistent with those produced experimentally. These are to our knowledge the first (and to date only) cut marks identified on an early Pleistocene postcranial hominin fossil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Briana Pobiner
- Human Origins Program, Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20013, USA.
| | - Michael Pante
- Department of Anthropology and Geography, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Trevor Keevil
- Department of Anthropology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
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2
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Meneganzin A. Sharing in an unequal world: The origins and survival of human cooperation. PHILOSOPHICAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/09515089.2022.2128323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andra Meneganzin
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- KU Leuven Institute of Philosophy, Belgium
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3
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García-Martínez D, Green DJ, Bermúdez de Castro JM. Evolutionary development of the Homo antecessor scapulae (Gran Dolina site, Atapuerca) suggests a modern-like development for Lower Pleistocene Homo. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4102. [PMID: 33602966 PMCID: PMC7892855 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83039-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Two well-preserved, subadult 800 ky scapulae from Gran Dolina belonging to Homo antecessor, provide a unique opportunity to investigate the ontogeny of shoulder morphology in Lower Pleistocene humans. We compared the H. antecessor scapulae with a sample of 98 P. troglodytes and 108 H. sapiens representatives covering seven growth stages, as well as with the DIK-1-1 (Dikika; Australopithecus afarensis), KNM-WT 15000 (Nariokotome; H. ergaster), and MH2 (Malapa; A. sediba) specimens. We quantified 15 landmarks on each scapula and performed geometric morphometric analyses. H. sapiens scapulae are mediolaterally broader with laterally oriented glenoid fossae relative to Pan and Dikika shoulder blades. Accordingly, H. antecessor scapulae shared more morphological affinities with modern humans, KNM-WT 15000, and even MH2. Both H. antecessor and modern Homo showed significantly more positive scapular growth trajectories than Pan (slopes: P. troglodytes = 0.0012; H. sapiens = 0.0018; H. antecessor = 0.0020). Similarities in ontogenetic trajectories between the H. antecessor and modern human data suggest that Lower Pleistocene hominin scapular development was already modern human-like. At the same time, several morphological features distinguish H. antecessor scapulae from modern humans along the entire trajectory. Future studies should include additional Australopithecus specimens for further comparative assessment of scapular growth trends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel García-Martínez
- Centro Nacional para el Estudio de la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Paseo Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002, Burgos, Spain.
- Departamento de Paleobiología, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain.
| | - David J Green
- Department of Anatomy, Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Buies Creek, NC, 27506, USA
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, WITS, 2050, South Africa
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Bermúdez de Castro JM, Martínez de Pinillos M, López-Polín L, Martín-Francés L, García-Campos C, Modesto-Mata M, Rosell J, Martinón-Torres M. A descriptive and comparative study of two Early Pleistocene immature scapulae from the TD6.2 level of the Gran Dolina cave site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain). J Hum Evol 2020; 139:102689. [PMID: 31902740 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Revised: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Here we present the descriptive and comparative study of two immature scapulae recovered from the TD6.2 level of the Gran Dolina cave site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain) and assigned to Homo antecessor. This is the first time that data on the morphology and dimensions of the scapulae of a European late Early Pleistocene hominin population are provided. Considering the state of development and the linear dimensions, the scapula ATD6-116 could belong to a child of about 2-4 years. The morphology of ATD6-116 clearly departs from that of the Australopithecus afarensis juvenile specimen DIK-1-1, pointing to functional differences in locomotor behavior between Australopithecus and the late Early Pleistocene hominins. The immature scapula ATD6-118 belonged to an immature individual with a development of the scapula equivalent to that of adolescents of recent human populations. The scapulae ATD6-118 and KNM-WT 15000 present a similar state of development. Although the scapula KNM-WT 15000 is clearly larger than ATD6-118, these two specimens share some characteristics such as their relative narrowness and the value of the axilloglenoid and spinoglenoid angles. The glenoid fossa of ATD6-116 show a lateral orientation, whereas in ATD6-118 the glenoid fossa is slightly cranially oriented, but still within the range of variation of modern humans. The glenoid index of both ATD6-116 and ATD6-118 is low in accordance to the values usually observed in other early hominins, thus showing the primitive condition for this feature. Both scapulae show a ventrally placed axillary sulcus. The presence of this primitive feature in ATD-116 confirms that the shape of the axillary border has a genetic basis and it is not related to physical activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- José María Bermúdez de Castro
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Paseo de la Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002 Burgos, Spain; Anthropology Department, University College London, 14 Taviton Street, London WC1 H 0BW, UK.
| | - Marina Martínez de Pinillos
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Paseo de la Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002 Burgos, Spain.
| | - Lucía López-Polín
- IPHES, Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, Unit Associated to CSIC, C/Marcel.lí Domingo s/n-Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), 43007 Tarragona, Spain.
| | - Laura Martín-Francés
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, MCC, PACEA, UMR 5199, F-33615 Pessac Cedex, France; Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Paseo de la Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002 Burgos, Spain.
| | - Cecilia García-Campos
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Paseo de la Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002 Burgos, Spain.
| | - Mario Modesto-Mata
- Equipo Primeros Pobladores de Extremadura, Casa de la Cultura Rodríguez Moñino, Avda. Cervantes s/n., 10003 Cáceres, Spain.
| | - Jordi Rosell
- Área de Prehistoria, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Avinguda de Catalunya 35, 43002 Tarragona, Spain; IPHES, Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, Unit Associated to CSIC, C/Marcel.lí Domingo s/n-Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), 43007 Tarragona, Spain.
| | - María Martinón-Torres
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Paseo de la Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002 Burgos, Spain; Anthropology Department, University College London, 14 Taviton Street, London WC1 H 0BW, UK.
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5
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Does optimal foraging theory explain the behavior of the oldest human cannibals? J Hum Evol 2019; 131:228-239. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Revised: 03/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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6
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Kissel M, Kim NC. The emergence of human warfare: Current perspectives. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 168 Suppl 67:141-163. [PMID: 30575025 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Revised: 10/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The origins of warfare have long been of interest for researchers across disciplines. Did our earliest ancestors engage in forms of organized violence that are appropriately viewed as approximations, forms of, or analogs for more recent forms of warfare? Assessed in this article are contrasting views that see warfare as being either a product of more recent human societies or a phenomenon with a much deeper chronology. The article provides an overview of current debates, theories, and methodological approaches, citing literature and data from archaeological, ethnographic, genetic, primatological, and paleoanthropological studies. Synthetic anthropological treatments are needed, especially in efforts to inform debates among nonacademic audiences, because the discipline's approaches are ideally suited to study the origins of warfare. Emphasized is the need to consider possible forms of violence and intergroup aggression within Pleistocene contexts, despite the methodological challenges associated with fragmentary, equivocal, or scarce data. Finally, the review concludes with an argument about the implications of the currently available data. We propose that socially cooperative violence, or "emergent warfare," became possible with the onset of symbolic thought and complex cognition. Viewing emergent warfare as a byproduct of the human capacity for symbolic thought explains how the same capacities for communication and sociality allowed for elaborate peacemaking, conflict resolution, and avoidance. Cultural institutions around war and peace are both made possible by these changes. Accordingly, we suggest that studies on warfare's origins should be tied to research on the advent of cooperation, sociality, and communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Kissel
- Department of Anthropology, Appalachian State University College of Arts and Sciences, Boone, North Carolina
| | - Nam C Kim
- Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
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7
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Mosquera M, Ollé A, Rodríguez-Álvarez XP, Carbonell E. Shedding light on the Early Pleistocene of TD6 (Gran Dolina, Atapuerca, Spain): The technological sequence and occupational inferences. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0190889. [PMID: 29370188 PMCID: PMC5784927 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper aims to update the information available on the lithic assemblage from the entire sequence of TD6 now that the most recent excavations have been completed, and to explore possible changes in both occupational patterns and technological strategies evidenced in the unit. This is the first study to analyse the entire TD6 sequence, including subunits TD6.3 and TD6.1, which have never been studied, along with the better-known TD6.2 Homo antecessor-bearing subunit. We also present an analysis of several lithic refits found in TD6, as well as certain technical features that may help characterise the hominin occupations. The archaeo-palaeontological record from TD6 consists of 9,452 faunal remains, 443 coprolites, 1,046 lithic pieces, 170 hominin remains and 91 Celtis seeds. The characteristics of this record seem to indicate two main stages of occupation. In the oldest subunit, TD6.3, the lithic assemblage points to the light and limited hominin occupation of the cave, which does, however, grow over the course of the level. In contrast, the lithic assemblages from TD6.2 and TD6.1 are rich and varied, which may reflect Gran Dolina cave’s establishment as a landmark in the region. Despite the occupational differences between the lowermost subunit and the rest of the deposit, technologically the TD6 lithic assemblage is extremely homogeneous throughout. In addition, the composition and spatial distribution of the 12 groups of lithic refits found in unit TD6, as well as the in situ nature of the assemblage demonstrate the high degree of preservation at the site. This may help clarify the nature of the Early Pleistocene hominin occupations of TD6, and raise reasonable doubt about the latest interpretations that support the ex situ character of the assemblage as a whole.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Mosquera
- Àrea de Prehistòria, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Avinguda de Catalunya 35, Tarragona, Spain
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), Tarragona, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Andreu Ollé
- Àrea de Prehistòria, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Avinguda de Catalunya 35, Tarragona, Spain
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), Tarragona, Spain
| | - Xose Pedro Rodríguez-Álvarez
- Àrea de Prehistòria, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Avinguda de Catalunya 35, Tarragona, Spain
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), Tarragona, Spain
| | - Eudald Carbonell
- Àrea de Prehistòria, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Avinguda de Catalunya 35, Tarragona, Spain
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), Tarragona, Spain
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8
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Cole J. Assessing the calorific significance of episodes of human cannibalism in the Palaeolithic. Sci Rep 2017; 7:44707. [PMID: 28383521 PMCID: PMC5382840 DOI: 10.1038/srep44707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Accepted: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Episodes of Palaeolithic cannibalism have frequently been defined as ‘nutritional’ in nature, but with little empirical evidence to assess their dietary significance. This paper presents a nutritional template that offers a proxy calorie value for the human body. When applied to the Palaeolithic record, the template provides a framework for assessing the dietary value of prehistoric cannibalistic episodes compared to the faunal record. Results show that humans have a comparable nutritional value to those faunal species that match our typical body weight, but significantly lower than a range of fauna often found in association with anthropogenically modified hominin remains. This could suggest that the motivations behind hominin anthropophagy may not have been purely nutritionally motivated. It is proposed here that the comparatively low nutritional value of hominin cannibalism episodes support more socially or culturally driven narratives in the interpretation of Palaeolithic cannibalism.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Cole
- School of Environment and Technology, University of Brighton, Cockcroft Building, Lewes Road Brighton, BN2 4GJ, UK
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9
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Bermúdez de Castro JM, Martinón‐Torres M, Martín‐Francés L, Martínez de Pinillos M, Modesto‐Mata M, García‐Campos C, Wu X, Xing S, Liu W. Early Pleistocene hominin deciduous teeth from theHomo antecessorGran Dolina‐TD6 bearing level (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2017; 163:602-615. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Revised: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- José María Bermúdez de Castro
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH)Paseo Sierra de Atapuerca 3Burgos09002 Spain
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity College London (UCL)14 Taviton StreetLondonWC1H 0BW United Kingdom
| | - María Martinón‐Torres
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity College London (UCL)14 Taviton StreetLondonWC1H 0BW United Kingdom
- Laboratorio de Evolución HumanaDepartamento de Historia, Geografía y Comunicación. Universidad de Burgos Spain
| | - Laura Martín‐Francés
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH)Paseo Sierra de Atapuerca 3Burgos09002 Spain
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity College London (UCL)14 Taviton StreetLondonWC1H 0BW United Kingdom
| | - Marina Martínez de Pinillos
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH)Paseo Sierra de Atapuerca 3Burgos09002 Spain
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity College London (UCL)14 Taviton StreetLondonWC1H 0BW United Kingdom
| | - Mario Modesto‐Mata
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH)Paseo Sierra de Atapuerca 3Burgos09002 Spain
- Equipo Primeros Pobladores de Extremadura (EPPEX), Casa de la Cultura Rodríguez MoñinoAv. Cervantes s/nCáceres10003 Spain
| | - Cecilia García‐Campos
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH)Paseo Sierra de Atapuerca 3Burgos09002 Spain
| | - Xiujie Wu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of SciencesChinese Academy of SciencesInstitute of Vertebrate Paleontology and PaleoanthropologyBeijing100044 China
| | - Song Xing
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of SciencesChinese Academy of SciencesInstitute of Vertebrate Paleontology and PaleoanthropologyBeijing100044 China
| | - Wu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of SciencesChinese Academy of SciencesInstitute of Vertebrate Paleontology and PaleoanthropologyBeijing100044 China
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10
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Sala N, Arsuaga JL, Pantoja-Pérez A, Pablos A, Martínez I, Quam RM, Gómez-Olivencia A, Bermúdez de Castro JM, Carbonell E. Lethal interpersonal violence in the Middle Pleistocene. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0126589. [PMID: 26018668 PMCID: PMC4446311 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0126589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Accepted: 04/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence of interpersonal violence has been documented previously in Pleistocene members of the genus Homo, but only very rarely has this been posited as the possible manner of death. Here we report the earliest evidence of lethal interpersonal violence in the hominin fossil record. Cranium 17 recovered from the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene site shows two clear perimortem depression fractures on the frontal bone, interpreted as being produced by two episodes of localized blunt force trauma. The type of injuries, their location, the strong similarity of the fractures in shape and size, and the different orientations and implied trajectories of the two fractures suggest they were produced with the same object in face-to-face interpersonal conflict. Given that either of the two traumatic events was likely lethal, the presence of multiple blows implies an intention to kill. This finding shows that the lethal interpersonal violence is an ancient human behavior and has important implications for the accumulation of bodies at the site, supporting an anthropic origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nohemi Sala
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Paleontología, Facultad Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Pantoja-Pérez
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Adrián Pablos
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
- Área de Antropología Física, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio Martínez
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
- Área de Antropología Física, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rolf M. Quam
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, New York, United States of America
- Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Asier Gómez-Olivencia
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Bilbao, Spain
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
- Équipe de Paléontologie Humaine, Département de Préhistoire, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Musée de l’Homme, Paris, France
| | | | - Eudald Carbonell
- Àrea de Prehistòria, Departamento d’Història i Història de l’Art, Universidad Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, Tarragona, Spain
- Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of Beijing, Beijing, China
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11
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Upper Palaeolithic ritualistic cannibalism at Gough's Cave (Somerset, UK): The human remains from head to toe. J Hum Evol 2015; 82:170-89. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2013] [Revised: 11/03/2014] [Accepted: 02/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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12
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Lozano S, Rodríguez XP, Arenas A. Atapuerca: evolution of scientific collaboration in an emergent large-scale research infrastructure. Scientometrics 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s11192-013-1162-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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13
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Modeling trophic resource availability for the first human settlers of Europe: the case of Atapuerca TD6. J Hum Evol 2013; 64:645-57. [PMID: 23541385 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2012] [Revised: 02/18/2013] [Accepted: 02/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Food resource availability strongly influences the survival opportunities of all organisms. The effect of animal food resource availability on the survival and dispersal of hominin populations is hotly debated. In this article, we present a mathematical model that provides estimations of the maximum and minimum available resources for secondary consumers in a palaeocommunity. This model provides insights into the intensity of competition and the available niche space for hominins in Europe during the early Galerian (1.2-0.8 Ma). Published data from the Atapuerca TD6 assemblage were used in combination with the model to investigate trophic dynamics and resource availability for a Homo antecessor population 800,000 years ago. The effect on our results of the possible presence at Atapuerca of some large carnivores not recorded in the fossil assemblage is also evaluated. Results indicate the existence of a rich ecosystem at Atapuerca at the end of the Early Pleistocene. Secondary production was abundant enough to maintain a hunter-gatherer population and a rich carnivore guild more diverse than that recorded in the TD6 assemblage. Based on these results, the practice of cannibalism by H. antecessor cannot be explained by a long-term scarcity of resources. High food availability at TD6 implies a low to moderate level of competition for resources between carnivores and humans. According to this interpretation, an empty niche for a highly carnivorous omnivore existed in Europe during the early Galerian, and it was successfully exploited by Homo.
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14
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Saladié P, Huguet R, Rodríguez-Hidalgo A, Cáceres I, Esteban-Nadal M, Arsuaga JL, Bermúdez de Castro JM, Carbonell E. Intergroup cannibalism in the European Early Pleistocene: The range expansion and imbalance of power hypotheses. J Hum Evol 2012; 63:682-95. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2012] [Revised: 07/03/2012] [Accepted: 07/05/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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15
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16
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Pablos A, Lorenzo C, Martínez I, Bermúdez de Castro JM, Martinón-Torres M, Carbonell E, Arsuaga JL. New foot remains from the Gran Dolina-TD6 Early Pleistocene site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain). J Hum Evol 2012; 63:610-23. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2012] [Revised: 06/28/2012] [Accepted: 06/28/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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17
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Bermúdez de Castro JM, Carretero JM, García-González R, Rodríguez-García L, Martinón-Torres M, Rosell J, Blasco R, Martín-Francés L, Modesto M, Carbonell E. Early pleistocene human humeri from the gran dolina-TD6 site (sierra de atapuerca, spain). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2012; 147:604-17. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2011] [Accepted: 12/21/2011] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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Carbonell E, Cáceres I, Lozano M, Saladié P, Rosell J, Lorenzo C, Vallverdú J, Huguet R, Canals A, Bermúdez de Castro JM. A Reply to Otterbein. CURRENT ANTHROPOLOGY 2011. [DOI: 10.1086/659747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Bello SM, Parfitt SA, Stringer CB. Earliest directly-dated human skull-cups. PLoS One 2011; 6:e17026. [PMID: 21359211 PMCID: PMC3040189 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0017026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2010] [Accepted: 01/19/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The use of human braincases as drinking cups and containers has extensive historic and ethnographic documentation, but archaeological examples are extremely rare. In the Upper Palaeolithic of western Europe, cut-marked and broken human bones are widespread in the Magdalenian (∼15 to 12,000 years BP) and skull-cup preparation is an element of this tradition. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Here we describe the post-mortem processing of human heads at the Upper Palaeolithic site of Gough's Cave (Somerset, England) and identify a range of modifications associated with the production of skull-cups. New analyses of human remains from Gough's Cave demonstrate the skilled post-mortem manipulation of human bodies. Results of the research suggest the processing of cadavers for the consumption of body tissues (bone marrow), accompanied by meticulous shaping of cranial vaults. The distribution of cut-marks and percussion features indicates that the skulls were scrupulously 'cleaned' of any soft tissues, and subsequently modified by controlled removal of the facial region and breakage of the cranial base along a sub-horizontal plane. The vaults were also 'retouched', possibly to make the broken edges more regular. This manipulation suggests the shaping of skulls to produce skull-cups. CONCLUSIONS Three skull-cups have been identified amongst the human bones from Gough's Cave. New ultrafiltered radiocarbon determinations provide direct dates of about 14,700 cal BP, making these the oldest directly dated skull-cups and the only examples known from the British Isles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia M Bello
- Department of Palaeontology, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom.
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